Modern environmental control systems for homes, offices, retail space, manufacturing facilities, etc. offer a verity of control options. A typical heating, air conditioning and ventilation (HVAC) system, for example, enables a user to input a desired set-point temperature and will then maintain the temperature within the controlled environment at temperatures within a range of variation from the desired set-point temperature. For example, if the set-point temperature is 72° F. in a cooling mode, the HVAC will initiate air conditioning if the detected temperature exceeds the set-point by some number of degrees, e.g. by 1° F. or 2° F., and will cut-off air conditioning when the detected temperature returns to 72° F. As another example, in the heating mode, if the set-point temperature is 67° F., the HVAC will initiate heating if the detected temperature falls below the set-point by some number of degrees, e.g. by 1° F. or 2° F., and will cut-off heating when the detected temperature returns to 67° F. Similar control may be provided for other conditioners of atmospheric condition(s) for environmental control in a particular space of space. For example, humidifiers or dehumidifiers may operate in a similar manner to maintain humidity within some defined range of a set-point for relative humidity.
More modern digital controls of such environmental control systems have allowed increased variation. Returning to the HVAC example, more modern controls may allow different set-points and possibly different variation ranges at different times of day and/or different days of the week, based on different expectations for occupancy or usage of the space or space having the controlled environment. For example, many modern digital thermostats allow the user to program the thermostat to control the HVAC system to apply different set-point temperatures at different times of the day and night during weekdays as well as for different times of the day on weekends. Thermostats for commercial space may vary the set-point for times of operation within the space and/or for different times of the year based on outside environmental conditions (expected, predicted or detected), e.g. to reduce energy costs and/or to improve comfort for personnel, customers or the like within the environmentally controlled space.
Control algorithms like those outlined above are typically intended to promote an objective purpose of the space or space within which the system controls the environment, e.g. to make the atmospheric condition(s) comfortable for the occupants of the space when engaged in the expected activities that the occupants might do when within the space. In addition to atmospheric environmental conditions such as those discussed above, lighting within the space also effects the perceptions of the occupants and the effectiveness of the space for its intended purpose(s).
Electrical lighting has become commonplace in modern society. Electrical lighting devices are commonly deployed, for example, in homes and buildings of commercial and other enterprise establishments. Traditional general lighting devices have tended to be relatively dumb, in that they can be turned ON and OFF, and in some cases may be dimmed, usually in response to user activation of a relatively simple input device. Such lighting devices have also been controlled in response to ambient light detectors that turn on a light only when ambient light is at or below a threshold (e.g. as the sun goes down) and in response to occupancy sensors (e.g. to turn on light when a room is occupied and to turn the light off when the room is no longer occupied for some period). Often such devices are controlled individually or as relatively small groups at separate locations.
With the advent of modern electronics has come advancement both in the types of light sources and in the control capabilities of the lighting devices. For example, solid state sources are now becoming a commercially viable alternative to traditional light sources such as incandescent and fluorescent lamps. By nature, solid state light sources such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) and organic LEDs (OLEDs) are easily controlled by electronic logic circuits or processors. For example, many fixtures or systems using solid state light sources enable control of both intensity and color characteristics of the overall light output. Electronic controls have also been developed for other types of light sources.
Traditional control algorithms involved setting a condition or parameter of the light output, such as intensity and/or color and then maintaining the set condition within some minimal variance for a relatively long period of time, e.g. over a work day or a period occupancy. Advanced electronics in the control elements, however, have facilitated more sophisticated control algorithms. For example, some systems have been configured to vary a condition of lighting in accordance with a circadian rhythm. A circadian rhythm is a biological function that corresponds to a natural 24 hour cycle. For lighting purposes, lighting in an office or the like has been controlled in a manner to simulate variations of natural daylight over some portion of the daytime during which the office is expected to be occupied, so as to simulate that portion of the natural 24 hour cycle of sunlight.
The various programmed control algorithms for characteristics of atmospheric condition as well as lighting control algorithms based in whole or in part on a circadian rhythm may help to promote harmony of the occupants with the lighted environment. However, such algorithms are still somewhat limited. Many controls vary characteristics around set-points and at most change to different set-points at different times of the day/week/year; whereas circadian rhythm type control algorithms tend to follow a general trend, such as average intensity of daylight, over the relevant period of the day.
Also, a system for control of the characteristic(s) of one condition may not have control over the characteristic(s) of another condition. For example, an HVAC system may control temperature around a set-point, and vary the set-point based on time of day and/or day of the week, whereas the lighting system for the same space may only provide ON/OFF and dimming based on occupancy sensing and/or user input.
Biospheres have been created that integrate controls for multiple biotic and abiotic components of the enclosed environment. However, the purpose of a biosphere is to emulate nature, for scientific study or the like, not to manipulate the environment to influence an occupant's sense of being. Also, biospheres are tightly closed and controlled systems, for example, in which occupants must remains for days, months or longer. Biospheres are expensive to construct and maintain. Also, they are not open environments to and from which occupants come and go in a free and independent manner, such as homes, offices, commercial buildings or the like.
The Fraunhofer Institute developed a Virtual Sky® in the form of a ceiling grid that was illuminated to appear as a moving sky with variable light intensity and sky colors. Again, this was an emulation of a natural environmental condition not specifically configured to manipulate the environment to influence an occupant's sense of being. Also, such a lighting grid has not been integrated with other biotic or abiotic components in the controlled environment within the occupied space. Furthermore, the Virtual Sky® type grid is far too complex and expensive for wide adoption in environments for typical spaces intended for human occupancy, such as homes, offices, agricultural buildings, commercial buildings or the like,
Other types of lighting have been controlled in response to various conditions or inputs, for example, in response to music. At least some musical sound may be considered chaotic. However, lighting in response to or coordinated with music has been intended for special effects lighting or entertainment and not for control of general lighting such as task lighting in an enterprise or residential space.
Hence, there is room for still further improvement in an environmental control algorithm to better promote an objective purpose of an area or space when occupied, which also may be implemented using equipment that is readily adaptable to typical environmentally controlled spaces, such as homes, offices, agricultural buildings, commercial buildings or the like.